Within the boundaries of the province of Manitoba are lands that are subject to treaties. Reading the text of the treaties is a good place to start learning about this issue.

It is also important to know that the ancestors of 5 First Nations in Manitoba did not sign a treaty with Canada. These First Nations are: Birdtail Sioux, Sioux Valley, Canupawakpa, Dakota Tipi and Dakota Plains.

(Hint: the answer is “Yes!”) This short blog post (January, 2013) from the Olthuis Kleer Townsend law firm in Toronto (they specialize in Indigenous legal issues) does a good job of answering the question “Are the Treaties Still Relevant”?

The post includes a short introduction to treaties, how they were seen at the time of signing and how they link to the Canadian Constitution. It also talks about how treaties are still being entered into today.

The Commission works to increase awareness about the treaties among all Manitobans and is focused on education related to the treaties. Its website has many videos featuring speakers talking about treaties in Manitoba. The Commission was created through a partnership between the Assembly of Manitoba Chief and Government of Canada.

This organization represents Manitoba First Nations who signed the Manitoba Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement (1997) which was developed to settle treaty-based debts owed to First Nations by the Government of Canada.